Automatic shoe machine



May lo 1927 M. E. FERNALD AUTOMATIC SHOE MACHINE Filed sept. 1s, 1922 3 sheets-sheet 1 6'2 a 5a M46 J8 /2 /4 I L mf ,en F7. Z *In 22 /O 69 /7l $6 856 L. 7;? af l gm-m 5B BO '3B so s@ l o y lo' M. E. FERNALD uToyA'rIc sHoE MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 13. 1922 Illlmmd I n Cit rio

Patented Nlay 10, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,628,602 PATENT OFFICE.

MARK E. FERNALD, OF SOUTHBORO, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR T C. C. BLAKE, INCORPORATED, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

AUTOMATIC SHOE MACHINE.

,Application led September 13, 1922. Serial No. 587,941.

This invention relates to automatic shoe machinery of the class in which a leader is employed as a guide to cause a proper operation ofthe tools during a relative traverse of the tool and shoe being;r operated upon. In automatic shoe machiner of this class the shoe is mounted upon a Jack and the simpler mode of operation is to rotate the jack and leader to cause a transfer of the tool along the last, shoe, or part of a shoe, as the case may be. In` one type of automatic shoe machinery, embodying these principles, the leader has the general forni, in plan, of a shoe sole and the jack is so `assembled therewith that the bottom of the last on `which the shoe is built is exactly superposed above `the leader. The present invention relates more particularly to means for mounting the lea( er and the shoe and for assembling them in the relation just described.

One. system of makingr shoes by automatic lnachinery contemplates providing each machine, for performing;r a distinct operation on the shoe, with a leader for governing the relative movements of the shoe and the tool to transfer the point of operation of the tool about the shoe, and then associating a jacked last or shoe with each leader, the jack being readily attached to the leader support in (position for the operation to be performed and as readily detached for transferal tothe machine for performing the next operation.

`The general object of the. present invention is to provide, in a shoe making system ot' the character described, means for insuring the proper relation of the Work on the jack to the leader when one is brought to the other, and this without the exercise ot' any skill on the part of the operator. The invention aims to make` certain that, when the jacked work is assembled with the leader, all points on the contour of the work to be. operated upon, such as the edge of the insole for example, will be exactly superposed on honiologous points on the contour of the leader which controls` the movement of the jack during' the operation ofthe tool.

Other objects of the invention aim to provide improved meansfor supportingr the leader, au improved jack for supporting;r the Work, and improved means for securing the jack upon the lead-er support.

To the accomplishment of these objects and such other as may hereinafter appear, as Will readily be understood by those skilled in the art, the invention comprises the features and combinations ot parts herein after described and then particularly pointed out in the appended claims. i

The preferred form of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which: A

Figure 1 is a view, in plan, ot' the leader support, with a shoe jack assembled therewith, the parts being shown in unclamped relation to each other; Fig. 2 is a View, in side elevation, of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1 the parts being in the same relation to each other and a shoe last beingr shown on the jack by dash lines; Fig. 3 is a view, in central longitudinal sect-ion, tl'irough the leader support with a leader indicated in position below the support; Fig` et. is a View, in central transverse section, througli the leader support looking toward the right in Fig. l; Fig. 5 is another transverse sectional view through the leader support taken at one of the leader clamping bushings; Fig. 6 is a View, in elevation. and with the toe post partly in section, of the shoe supporting jack, the central portion also being shown separately, in plan; Fig. 7 is a sectional view on the line 7--7 of Fig. 6; and Fig. S is i sectional view on the line 8-8 of Fig. (i.

In the embodiment of the invention illus` trailed in the drawings, and referring lirst to Figs. 6 to 8, the jack comprises a toe post 1() provided with a fore-part pad or rest 12 of any suitable construction, a heel post 14 having the usual last pin 1G, and a base bar or frame piece 18. These three parts form separate units and are readily disconnected one :from the other. Their assembled position, permittii'ig' quick adjustment and providing,r for locking the jacked shoe, will now be exliilaiued.

The base bar lt-'5 is formed of a relatively thin metal plate the opposite ends of which are received in channel-shaped housings carried by the toe and heel posts. The toe post housing is integral With the toe postex tendingr inward horizontally from its base. rl`he heel post housing Q2 is received in a vertical slot 24 formed by the forks Q6 at the lower end of the heel post. The heel post is comiected to its housing by means of two horizontal pins 28 and 30 seated in bosses on llO one face of the housing with their ends engaged in a curved slot 32 in the adjacent fork 2G. The slot 32 is arcuate and is struck from a center on the heel post located at substantially the point where the comb ot the last rests. lith this construction the toe and heel posts may be slid toward andfroui each other on the base bar to position them for the size oit shoe being jacked. The limits of Athis sliding movement are determined by pins 3l taking into slots on bars 36 carried, respectively7 by the housings and the base bar. After the last, on which the shoe is built, has been placed on the last pin 16 with its toe end resting on the pad l2, a tool of suitable form is engaged with a pair of hooks 38 at the lower edges of the forks 26 and the last pin is tipped forwari'. by pulling the lower end of the heel post outward. rlhis places pressure on both the toe and heel post-s and causes he housings to bind on the upper and lower edges of. the base bar. The three parts of the jack are thus locked together and it may be transported from one machine to another without danger of disturbing the position of the slice thereon.

Before locking the last to the jack its longitudinal position is adjusted7 by relative movement of the toe and heel posts on the base bar, to bring two known points at the toe and heel of the last bottoni, or insole of the shoe, to a definite position with relation to a centering pin 40 which projects laterally' from the central portion of the base bar. The manner in which these positioning points are determined and the apparatus used in locating the work on the jack form the subject mattei' of separate applications Serial Nos. 587,939 and 587,940 iiled of even date herewith. For the purposes of this application it is merely requisite to understand that the final location of the work, before the ack is locked, is such that the pin et() lies in a vertical plane equidistant from the two known positioning points.

Having thus positioned the work on the j ack, the jack is taken to one of the machines of the automatic shoe making system and seated on a jack support with which each machine is provided. The jack support Ll2 is in the form of an inverted dish-shaped spider (see Figs. l to 5) having a lower face 48 for sliding engagement with the surface of a supporting table (not shown), and will hereinafter be designated as the slotted7 The skate sustains a` sole-shaped leader All, through which its movement over the table is controlled7 and is provided with a vertically slotted plate Ll-G for receiving the jack centering pin l0 and thus locating the jack in a definite longitudinal position on the skate. The relation of the centering device 46 to the leader lil is such that when the j ack is assembled and clamped on the skate the peripheral edge of the work on the jack is superposed with exactness above the controlling surlace 45 of the leader.

The means for clamping the jack on the skate is utilized also for clamping the leader on the skate. The skate is in two parts and comprises the spider, or table. engaging portion 42 and a hollow frame. le (Figs. l lo .3) seated in a central opening in lhe spider. The frame -S is secured to the spider by four screws 50 l and The l'rame -lt comprises a rear wall 52 to a central lug ou which the centering device Alll is secured, a front wall 5l and end webs 5G having corner posts 5S, the whole presenting a. longitudinal channe formation for receiving the jack (see Fig. l). Each end web 5t is bored verticallyv to receive an expanding bushing G0 which extends below the lower lace ol`V the frame le and into holes previously Yl'oimed in the central web of the leader Lll. Each bushing receives an axiallj. arranged pin (52 having a conical head (il at its lower end and a flat head (56 at its upper end. Two horizontal plates (SS, having central diagonal meeting edges forming a slot U9 (Fig. l), are lorked atliheir outer ends and engage under the heads (S6 of the bushing pins. lVith this construction, if downward pressure is applied at the meeting ends of the plates GS they l'ulcrum on the inner walls 7() of the end webs and thus simultaneously raise the pins (3Q. Such a movement of the pins expands the bushings` and clamps the leader lirmly to the skate. lVhen in position the two bushings are equidislant from the centering device i6.

Before describing the mechanism Vfor depressing the inner ends of the plates Go the means for clamping the jack in position will be described. At. the forward side of the channel formed by the frame walls 52 and l are two vertically arranged plates 72, their meeting edges being central and opposite the ifo-operating jack positioning devices Ll() and il-(3. The outer end of each plate T2 is secured to a post 5S in the l`ollowing manner. The post is bored horizontally at T4- (Fig. 5) and has sealed therein a block 76 having a hemi-spherical l `ad. The plate T2 has a socket ino which .said head takes and the parts are held yieldingly together by an axial pin TS held in position by a spring washer Si). 'lhe extreme outer end of the plaie Til is provided with a` pressure member in the form of a half-round S2 arranged vertically with itsl rounded surface against the plate. 'l`wo rivets 84;, seated in enlarged holes in the plate '72, hold the hall round in position but permit it to rock sidewise. 'l`he plaie.-l 72 normally have the slight angular relation shown in Fig. l but when outward pressure is applied at their meeting` ends. they fulcrum on the blocks TG and cause-the lll lill

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half-rounds 82 to engage the front faceof the toe post housing 2O on the jack and the front fork 26 of the heel post. This pressure forces the jack against the rear wall 52 of the skate frame and clamps it to the skate by the frictional binding pressure thus created.` As describedythe mounting of the l1alf-`rounds 82 permit them to rock, as the angle of the plates 72 changes, while still maintaining a firm bearing on the jack.

A common actuator, in the form of a hand lever `86 (Figs. 1, 2 and 4), is employed to shift both pairs of lates 68 and 72. This hand lever is carriedp loosely by the forward end of a headed pin 88 which is passed horizontally through an opening at the meeting edges of the plates .72,through a hole in the wall 54, and through the upper end `of a vertical lever arm 90 pivoted to rock on a pin 92 carried `by two lugs 94 depending from the front side Wall 54. The head of the lever arm 90 is provided with oppositely disposed lateral Wings 9G and this head is held against the rear face of the hand lever by lock nuts 98h11 the pin S8. `The hand lever has two diametrically `disposed cam surfaces 100 which, as the lever is rotated, engage the wings 96. The lever arm 90 has a connected horizontal arm 11.02 (Fig. el) the rear end of which is forked and embraces the shank of an inverted T-shaped piece 104: (Fig. 3) which extends through the oblique slot 69 at the `meeting edges of the plates 68 and has a head 106 crossing said slot.`

On turning the hand level' S6 to the left the earns 100 act first to draw the pin 88 forward until the half-rounds 82 meet the lack. The resistance thus created will cause the level' 90-*102 to be moved in a contraclockwise direction viewing Fig.` 4, before the pin 88 reaches its filial forward position. The linal pressure on the jack to clamp it against the rear gaging wall 52, and the final pressure Aon the Tpiece 104 to fully expand' the bushings (30, thus occur simultaneously. This sequence may vary because the exact operation depends on the amount o resislance encountered as the cams 1U() are ro i tated and the time when this resistance loe comes effective.` A single movement of the hand lever thus clamps or unclalnps the leader and jack, as heretofore described. The angular movement of the hand lever is `limitediby the engagement of asurfarc 108 thereon with a stop 11() mounted on the is determined by the gaging surface formed by the inner face of the rear frame wall 52 and the thickness of the jack post housings 20 and 22. These housings are so pr0portioned that the longitudinal datum lines on the Work and leader, referred to in said copending applications, both lie in the same vertical plane when the jack is clamped against the wall 54. The longitudinal position of the jack relative to the leader determined by the ccntc ing devices 4t() and 46, each of which bears the same relation to known points on the work and leader respectively.

Those skilled in the art will recognize that the jack may be employed for support ing a last, a` portion of a shoe, or a complete shoe, and that any of these pieces of work may have an operation performed thereo-n by the shoe machine which supports the leader and skate with which the jack is assembled. The scope of the invention` therefore, is not .limited to a utilization of the apparatus for shoe building operations alone but is broad enough to include other shoe making or shoe .finishing procl esses.

Obviously changes may be made in the form, character and relation of the parte within the scope of the invention, character ming features of which are set forth in the claims by the intentional use of generic` terms inclusive of various modilications.

What is claimed as new, is:

l. Shoe making apparatus of the character `described having, in con'ibination, a frame for supportinga separate leader and a separate jack, means op the frame and the jack adapted to co-operatively engage to locate the jack in a definite position on the iframe relative to the leader, and means for clamping the jack in such position.

2. Shoe making aprniratus ot the charac ter descriliied having, in (.-oiiibinatiom a frame, a leader and a 'jack removably mounted on said frame, and seliiarate means for securing said leadcr and jack to the frame.-

3. Shoe making apparatus of the character described having, in combination, a frame.. a leader and a jack removably mounted on said frame, separate securing means for said leader and jack', and a common actuator for operating said secl'lring means.

4. Shoe making apparatus of the character described having, .in combination, a frame` a lsole-shaped leader supported by said frame, a jack having a centering device in definite relation to points on the area of the work supported by thc jack, a` cri-operating centering device on the frame having a like' relation to homologous points on the leader, and means for securing the jack to the frame with said centering devices in cri-operative engagement.

l (it) 5. Shoe making apparatus ofthe character described having, in combination, a skate, a leader removably secured to the under side of said skate, and a unitjack removably secured to the upper side of said skate.

6. Shoe making apparatus or' the character described having, in combination, a skate having means'to support a leader, a jack removably supported on the skate, and means for gaging the location of the jack on the skate when positioned thereon.

7. Shoe making apparatus ofi the character described having, in combination, a. unit jack for mounting a shoe to be operated upon; a skate; a leader supported by the skate adapted to be engaged and rotated by driving elements ot a shoe machine and shaped to provide a Vcontrolling surface which, in plan, is like the peripheral portion of the shoe to be operated upon by the tool of the shoe machine; and means for instantly positioning the jack on the skate with said periphery of the shoe superposed on said controlling Vsurface of the leader.

8. Shoe making apparatus of the clniracter described having, in combination, a unit jack for mounting a shoe to be operated upon; a skate; a leader supported by the skate adapted to be engaged and rotated by driving elements of a shoe machine and shaped to provide a controlling surface which, in plan, is like the peripheral portion of the shoe to be operated upon by the tool of the shoe machine; and devices car ried by the ack and the skate which, when engaged in positioning the liack on the skate, locate the shoe longitudinally relative to the leader for the correct operation of the tool at the ends of the Shoe.

9. Shoe making apparatus ot the character described having, in combination, a jack for mounting a shoe to be operated upon; a skate; a leader supported by the skate adapt` ed to be engaged and rotated by driving elements of a shoe machine and shaped to provide a controlling surface which, in plan, is ylike the peripheral portion of the shoe to be operated upon by the tool of the shoe machine; gaging means on the jack bearing a. definite relation to preselected points on said periphery of the shoe, and co-operating gaging means on the skate bearing the same relation to homologous points on the controlling sur'lace of the leader, which means when cofoperatively engaged insure a predetermined longitudinal and lateral relation between the shoe and leader.

10. In shoe making apparatus oi the character described, a skate presenting an open channel forn'ration at its upper 'tace and dish shaped at its lower face, means in said channel for clamping a. jack to the skate, and means at said lower face for clamping a leader below the jack.

ll. In shoe making apparatus oiE the chai'` acter described, a skate of inverted dishshaped form having a. surface for sliding engagement with the table of a shoe ma chine, and provided with means for clamping a leader and a unit jack thereon in a single definite relation.

l2. In shoe making apparatus ot thc char actcr described, a skate in the form of an inverted dish-shaped spider having a central opening, and a unit jack supporting frame seated in said opening.

1.3. In shoe making apparatus of the character described, a skate having a Isurface for sliding engagement with the table of a shoe machine, a central supporting iframe, and devices carried by said frame for scouring a .leader and a unit jack to the skate in a single definite relation.

let. In shoe making apparatus of the character described, a skate having a surface for sliding engagement with the table of a shoe machine, a central supporting frame, devices carried by said frame for securing a leader and a jack to the skate, and a common actuator for said devices.

l5. In shoe making apparatus of the character described, a skate having a surface for sliding engagement with the table oi`: a shoe machine, a central supporting frame, clamping` devices carried by said frame for a leader and a jack, and interconnected means for operating said clamping devices.

16. In shoe making apparatus of the character described, a skate having a surface for sliding engagement with the table of a shoe machine, a central supporting frame, devices carried by the frame for clamping a leader and a jack thereto, and a cam lcver 'for operating said devices.

17. A jack for shoe machinery having, in combination, a base piece, adjustable housings lnountcd on the opposite ends thereof, heel and toe posts supported by said housings, and means for causing said housings to bind on the base piece in a selected position thereon.

18. A jack for shoe machinery having, in combination, a base piece, two slidable housings thereon supporting heel and toe posts, and means for exerting pressure through the jacked shoe to clamp the housings againstl movement on the base piece.

19. A jack for shoe machinery having, in combination, a base piece comprising a vertically arranged strip, a centering pin project-ing laterally from the central portion of one side thereof, and a heel post and a toe post at opposite sides of said pin and adjustable on the base piece toward and from said pin.

20. A jack tor shoe machinery having. in combination, a strip on edge, housings slidably mounted at each end of said strip. a toc post rising from one housing, a heel post rising from theother housing and having ltifi a, forked lower end straddliug the iflousing, und means connecting said heel post to its housing permitting it to be tilted toward the toe post.

21. A juek for shoe machinery having, in combination, e strip on edge, housings slidzihly mounted at each end of said strip, n toe post rising from one housing, e heel post rising from the other housing and having e forked lower end straddling the housing, moans connecting said heel post to its housing permitting it to be tilted toward the toe post, und means `tor retaining the hoe] post in `its tilted position. y

22. A jack for shoe machinery having, in oomliiinution, a strip on ed ge,oehannel shaped members embracing each end of said strip, und sliduble thereon, heel and. toe posts for supporting e shoe, sustained by said members, a centrally located member to which said posts ure adjusted., and means acting through the shoe for looking the posts in any desired position of adjustment.

MARK E. FERNALD. 

